Water-wheel.



F. T. CLARKE.

WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION TILED JAN-12, 1912. 1,035,779. Patented Aug. 13,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

awe/Mo's FERDINAND T. CLARKE, OF FINLEY, WASHINGTON.

WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Application filed January 12, 1912. Serial No. 670,851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND T. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Finley, in the county of Benton and State of I/Vashington, have invented new and use 'ful Improvements in Water-Wheels, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to water wheels and one of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be cheaply constructed, which will be durable, efficient in operation, and which is self supporting.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and ellicient water wheel which may be conveniently removed from the stream without disconnecting any of its parts so that when the stream becomes covered with ice or debris, the wheel may be conveniently moved out of the path of danger.

Further objects of this invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View showing the device arranged in the stream. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the wheel turned to inoperative position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the drum. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a similar section on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation showing a modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the wheel shaft which is squared between its ends, as shown at 2, for. a purpose to be hereinafter described. Mounted upon the shaft adjacent each end are two water tight drums 3 which are provided with suitable man holes 4, by which access to the interior of the same may be had. The outer ends of the shaft are rounded and are connected through bearings 5 to suitable cables 6 and 7 which hold the wheel in its position in the stream. The cable 6 preferably has its length adjusted so that the out stream end of the wheel may be drawn inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 so as to hold it in inoperative position when the stream is filled with floating ice, debris, or the like, which would be cal: culated to damage the wheel. The shaft 5. at its inner end is connected through a sprocket chain 8 to a power shaft 9 which may be connected in any suitable manner to the mechanism on the shore to be driven. The drums 3 are made self bailing by means of troughs 10 and 11 secured upon the side and outer end of each drum, as shown, the trough 11 conducting the water picked up by the trough 10 to an outlet 12 arranged adjacent the axle. In this manner the drums are freed at each revolution from water which has leaked therein.

Radiating from the squared portion of the shaft intermediate the drums are bracing arms 13 which support paddles 14. These paddles extend between and are connected at their ends to the drums and are held in spaced relation by the braces 15. Each paddle has its outer edge arranged below the periphery of the drum so that when the device is rolled out on the ground, the paddles will not contact with the ground and are thus protected from damage.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the paddles 16 are arranged diagonally to the shaft 10 but extend between and are connected to each drum. This arrangement of the paddles is preferably because they are gradually entered and withdrawn from the water without jar or jerk as where the pad-\ dles each enter the water in its entirety and is withdrawn therefrom in a similar manner. In practice, the drums are made of such size that they will float the device to such an extent that only the width of the blades will be submerged. It will be noticed that the entire wheel is supported by the drum and the water forms the hearing, thus eliminating many parts and doing away with expensive supports in the nature of pontoons or the like.

'Whal is claimed is:--

1. A water wheel comprising a shaft, buoyant drums arranged at opposite ends of the shaft, blades interconnecting the drums and arranged below the periphery thereof, and means to brace the blades to the axle.

2. A water wheel comprising a shaft, buoyant drums arranged adjacent opposite ends thereof, paddles extending between and connected to the drum, said paddles outer edges arranged below the periphery 10 having their outer edges arranged below the thereof.

outer periphery of the drums, means to In testimony whereof I aflix my signature brace the paddles apart, and means to brace in presence of two witnesses. the paddles away from the shaft. 7 FERDINAND T CLARKE 3. A water Wheel comprising a shaft, buoyant drums mounted thereon, adjacent WVitnesses: the ends, and a plurality of paddles extend- I THoMAs H. DRY, ing between the drums and having their HENRY N. DRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

